Internal combustion engine



Nov. l19, 13935. E, F, STREY 2,021,333

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. l5, 1931' Il if@ gym Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE poration of Michigan Application November 13, 1931, Serial No. 574,795

10 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to the valve mechanism thereof.

The invention is in `some respects an improvement upon the valve mechanism disclosed in British Patent No. 289,468 dated April 20, 1928. In said British patent there is described a valve mechanism for internal combustion engines in which the rocker arms of the valve mechanism are adjusted to compensate for expansion and contraction due to temperature variations. The mechanism is shown in connection with overhead valves and valves for L-head engines. In each case the take-up device is mounted below l5 the pivot of the rocker arm and the piston of the device presses upwardly on the eccentric arm, thus leaving the cylinder of the device open at its upper end to form a reservoir for the oil. Where a valve is used in connection with a spring pressed piston the valve is in the moving piston and closes a port therethrough.

While said British patent indicates that the valve referred to will be opened by the vacuum created by the upward movement of the piston, it

y is found in practice that a contributing factor vto the opening of this valve is the inertia of the parts and that the sudden upward movement of the piston, which occurs under some conditions, causes the opening of the valve to permit escape of air or inflow of oil.

This matter of escape of air from the working part of the cylinder is of the utmost importance because if air is trapped in the cylinder below the piston the valve mechanism will not operate quietly since the air will be compressed instead of forming a solid wall and the eccentric will operate to create a clearance between the rocker arm and the engine valve. Hence the necessity for having the port at the upper end of the Working part of the cylinder so that the air may escape immediately the valve is opened.

In the present invention the valve take-up mechanism is applied to a V-type engine with the rocker arms arranged near the bottom of the V immediately above the cam shaft, and it is one of the objects of this invention to make a compact and novel arrangement of valves, valve rocker arms and take-up mechanism in this type engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide cooperating multiple valve take-up mechanisms for a multi-cylinder V-type engine.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic valve take-up mechanism that will operate when mounted above the part of the valve operating mechanism which it actuates.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve take-up mechanism that will operate the valve thereof by the movement of the piston even 5 though the valve is mounted in the stationary cylinder.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, which forms a part of this specifi- 10 cation, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section through a V-type engine including an embodiment of the invention, the section of the valve operating mechanism being substantially on the line -I 15 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section through one of the valve take-up devices, the section being substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the valve operating 20 mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the upper right hand sectional part being on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2,

and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, IU represents generally a cylinder block casting which may orv may not be a single casting as shown in the drawing. The cylinders of this casting are shown in V arrangement, the left cylinder or bank of cylinders 30 being indicated at Il and the right bank at I2.` The two banks of cylinders are similar in construction and one of them has been cut away for convenience of illustration.

A cylinder head casting provides a head i3 for 35 each of the cylinders, and intake and exhaust ports are provided for each cylinder, one of such ports being shown at i4. A poppet valve I5 controls the port |47 and this valve has the usual spring I6 for closing it. Mounted between the banks of cylinders is the engine cam shaft 2'0, driven from the crank shaft in the usual way. This cam shaft is mounted at the extreme lower part of the V formed by the cylinder banks. r,

Mounted above the cam shaft and suitably secured to the cylinder casting I0 is a casting or support 2l for the valve rocker arms 2'2. These rocker arms are pivotally supported on pins 23, some of the rocker arms being mounted in series 5@ on one of said pins and the others being mounted in series on the other of said pins and parallel to the rst series. One branch of each rocker arm 22 is provided with a roller I1 which contacts with a cam on the shaft 20, and the other branch has a contact point I 8 operating on the end of the valve l5.

Oil supplied to the cam shaft bearing from a suitable pump is led through a vertical passage 24 and a horizontal passage 25 to drilled passages 26 in the pins 23, for lubricating the bearing surfaces of the pins and associated parts.

From the drawing and the above description it will be seen that with the cam shaft and rocker arms thus mounted in the lower part of the V of this type 0f engine there is not sufficient space below the pivots of the rocker arms in which to position take-up devices such as have been referred to above as a part of the prior art. Possibly the prior art devices could be mounted above the said pivots but the ensuing complication of the connections would probably make such construction impracticable even if it could be done. In the present invention a new construction of take-up mechanism has been provided which may be mounted above the rockerrarm pivots and which will operate in a downwardly direction. Also, the present construction includes an arrangement for operating a valve in the upper part of the inverted cylinder so that dependence will not be placed on vacuum for operating that valve.

Each of the rocker arms 22 is mounted upon an eccentric sleeve on one of the pins 23, a bearing or bushing 3i being provided between the sleeve and the rocker arm. This construction is particularly well shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The sleeve 35 has an integral ange 32 at one end and at one point this ilange is extended radially to form an arm 33, so that the eccentric sleeve, its flange and the arm 33 may all be termed a lever arm. This is particularly well indicated in Fig. 2.

Preferably formed in the casting 2| and directly above the arm 33 is a cylinder 40 open at its lower end and closed near its upper end by a threaded abutment 4I made tight by a gasket 42. A port 43 in the abutment 4I opens into a reservoir 44 formed by the upper end of the cylinder casting.

Slidably mounted in. the cylinder is a hollow piston 45 closed at its lower end and having a central contact shoe 46 resting on the upper face of the arm 33. The contacting parts of the shoe and arm are preferably rounded as shown to provide for line contact which will permit operation with a Ininimum of friction.

The piston 45 is spring operated by a spring 41 so that the piston constantly presses downwardly against the arm 33 which tends to rock the eccentric sleeve 3U to thereby shift the pivot of the rocker arm in a direction that will take up the clearance between the rocker arm and the end of the valve I5 or between the roller Il and the cam shaft 20.

A valve 48 is provided for the port 43 which valve opens downwardly or inwardly so that pressure of oil in the reservoir 44 will tend to open the valve. A spring 43 tends to keep the valve lightly closed and of course the pressure of oil within the cylinder 40 and piston 45 will also tend to close the valve, and when the valve is closed the only escape for oil is between the piston and cylinder, which is made with such fit that there will be a very slow escape of oil between those surfaces.

With the construction so far described, a

-movement of the piston 45 downwardly might under some circumstances be suiicient to open the valve 43 by reason of -the vacuum which connected with the movable piston s0 that the l0 Sudden relative movement between the piston and the cylinder will cause the valve to open and permit air to escape from or oil to enter the cylinder. As shown this interconnection comprises a cylinder 50 and piston 5|, Within 15 the piston 45. The cylinder is closed at its upper end except where the stern 52 of the valve 43 passes through it, and the lower end of 'the cylinder 55 is formed with a ange 53 which rests against the closed end of the piston 45. 20

The lower end of the cylinder 55 is open and passages 54 connect it with the interior of the piston 45.

The piston 5i, above referred to, is connected to the lower end of the stem 5'2 of the valve 48 25 and it slides in the cylinder 55, and thus with the oil therein a hydraulic connection is formed. The upper end of the valve 43 is formed with a stem 55 which permits it to be depressed by the hand of the operator or by an instrument 30 for the purpose of relieving the cylinder of air or permitting oil to ilow into it upon starting the engine or when for any reason the cylinders have been emptied of oil.

From the above description it will be seen that 35 with the hydraulic connection between the valve 43 and the piston 45 the Valve will partake of the sudden movements of the piston and hence will be positively opened to permit air to escape or to permit oil to enter as the piston is moved 40 downwardly suddenly by the spring 4l as frequently occurs in the operation of the device.

As shown herein, several of the rocker arms 22 are arranged adjacent each other and are provided with adjacent take-up mechanisms. Thus 45 in Figs. 3 and 4 it will be seen that rocker arms 22a and 22h are mounted adjacent each other on one of the pins 23 and they are provided with adjacently mounted take-up devices. The reservoirs 44 of these take-up devices are con- 50 nected by another reservoir and an oil passage 6I extends from the passage 26 in the pin 23 to this reservoir BIJ. Thus the reservoir 60 supplies and augments the adjacent reservoirs 44. Overflow oil from these reservoirs will of course find 55 its way back into the crank case from which the oil is pumped.

While I have herein described in some detail a specific embodiment of my invention, which I deem to be new and advantageous and may spe- 60 cically claim, I do not desire it to be understood that my invention is limited to the exact details of the construction, as it will be apparent that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of cylinders arranged in the form of a V, a cam shaft mounted in the V, valve rocker arms mounted immediately above and operated by said cam shaft, and downwardly operating valve take-up devices of the hydraulic type for said rocker arms mounted above and co-operating with the pivots of said rocker arms.

il i) 2. In a valve mechanism, the combination with a valve operating device, of take-up means comprising a cylinder member, a piston member in the cylinder co-operating with said device, spring means between said members, a Valve seated in one of said members, and means including ahydraulic device to regulate the action of the valve.

3. In a valve mechanism, the combination with a valve operating device, of take-up means comprising a cylinder member, a piston member in the cylinder cri-operating with said device, spring means between said members, a Valve seated in the cylinder member, and means connected hydraulically to the valve to cause it to move With each sudden movement of the piston in at least one direction.

4. A valve take-up mechanism comprising a cylinder element and a piston element therein, one of said elements being stationary and the other movable relatively thereto, a valve in one of said elements, and means connecting the valve to the other of said elements to cause the valve to move from its seat with each sudden relative movement of the elements in at least one direction.

5. A valve 'take-up mechanism comprising a lever arm, a cylinder element and a piston element, one of said elements supported above said arm and the other element contacting with said arm, spring means pressing said contacting element towards said arm, the stationary element having a port, a valve for said port, and means for opening the valve by certain relative movement of said elements.

6. A valve take-up mechanism comprising a lever arm, a stationary cylinder, a piston slidable in the cylinder and contacting with said arm, spring means pressing said piston towards said arm, said cylinder having a port, a valve for said port, a cylinder connected to said piston and a small piston in the second said cylinder and connected to said valve.

7. A valve take-up mechanism comprising a lever arm, a stationary cylinder open at its lower end and having an abutment at its upper end, a reservoir above said abutment, said abutment having a port between the interior of the cylinder and said reservoir, a piston in the cylinder having a port extending through the cylinder open end and in contact with said lever arm, -a valve for said port and means for controlling said valve.

8. In a valve mechanism, the combination with a valve operating device, of hydraulic take-up means comprising a cylinder member, a piston member'in the cylinder cooperating with said device, one of said members having a port, a spring closed valve for said port, and means in addition to the valve and including a hydraulic device connected to the valve to regulate the action thereof.

9. A valve take-up mechanism comprising a cylinder' element and a piston element therein, one of said elements being stationary and the other movable relatively thereto, a valve in one of said elements, and means including hydraulic means for connecting the valve with the other of said elements.

10. A valve take-up mechanism comprising a lever arm, a stationary cylinder open at its lower end and having an abutment at its upper end, a reservoir above said abutment, said abutment having a port between the interior of the cylinder and said reservoir, a piston in the cylinder having a port extending through the cylinder open end and in contact with said lever, a valve for said port, and a connection including hydraulic means interconnecting said valve and said piston.

EDWIN F. STOREY. 

